Former Long Beach officer pleads guilty to rape

LOS ANGELES — A former Long Beach police officer pleaded guilty today to raping an 18-year-old woman he met while on duty, along with additional sex charges involving several underage girls.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Ronald S. Coen immediately sentenced 40- year-old Noe Yanez to 11 years and eight months in state prison and ordered him to register as a sex offender for life, said Deputy District Attorney Natalie Adoman.

As a hearing to determine if there was enough evidence to require him to stand trial was about to enter its second day, Yanez pleaded guilty to one count each of forcible rape, meeting a minor for lewd purposes, using a minor for sex acts and possession of child pornography and two counts of false imprisonment by fraud or deceit.

The charges involved four girls who were between 13 and 17 at the time, along with the 18-year-old woman.

Forty-five other counts against him were dismissed as a result of his plea.

Yanez was a nine-year veteran of the Long Beach Police Department when he was initially arrested last April on suspicion of possessing child pornography and then re-arrested in May after the charges were filed.

He has remained jailed since then.

Yanez is no longer employed by the city of Long Beach, according to a spokeswoman for the Long Beach Police Department.